US "spooked" by Canadian coins

For those who need a lighter moment, I offer this gem from the pages of Canada's "national newspaper":

"On at least three separate occasions between October, 2005 and January, 2006, cleared defence contractors' employees travelling through Canada have discovered radio-frequency transmitters embedded in Canadian coins on their persons," reads the U.S. Defence Security Service report.

It gets nuttier, over the fold.

Yes, my friends, some eeeeevildoers seem to have bugged their quarters. Um, you know, not their rooms, but their quarters. Or toonies, or loonies, or whatever. Loonies; that's the ticket.

The account — which gave no further elaboration — appeared in the latest annual edition of the agency's "Technology Collection Trends in the U.S. Defence Industry" report.

The declassified report also made vague references to other cases... Nothing else is known about these cases. But the item about the Canadian coins item appeared to be the result of only partial intelligence.

"Partial intelligence" may be the money quote here.

After initial reports yesterday, the story is now being downplayed in the Globe report by the usual "U.S. official familiar with the case."

He said that while some odd-looking Canadian coins briefly triggered suspicions in the United States, he said that the fears proved groundless: "We have no evidence to indicate anything connected with these coins poses a risk or danger."

Here's what I think might be going on with these contractors. In recent years the Royal Canadian Mint has begun issuing limited-edition coins with coloured inserts, as in this example. There was a quarter with a poppy to honour veterans a few years back, and more recently a quarter with a pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness. They're a bit... different and, as we know, anything different might be a THREAT!

At least this guy, quoted in the Toronto Star, seems to be keeping a clear head.

The likely need for such a reading device means the doctored coins could be used to track people only in a controlled setting, not over long distances, said Chris Mathers, a security consultant and former undercover RCMP officer.

"From a technology perspective, it makes no sense," he said. ``To me it's very strange."

Then there's the obvious problem: what if the coin-holder plunks the device into a pop machine?

"You give the guy something with a transmitter that he's going to spend – I mean, he might have it for an hour," Mathers said with a chuckle.

But Mathers, as a former Canadian undercover cop himself, might be, well... better not go there.

Yep, Coinage of Mass Destruction, that's what we got up here in Canada. You better watch yourselves, eh.